The Four Seasons of Chaos REWRITE
by A Fishman Out of Water
Summary: After the wars, Percy disappeared. Now, conflict looms over Olympus, a conflict far greater than everything they have ever faced. Chaos lends a hand, for this enemy has the power to change the entire world. She provides her elite, the personifications of the seasons. Can they survive against Eternity? A rewrite of an old and outdated story.
1. Chapter 1

Antarctica. A land seemingly forsaken by the gods. A harsh land, uninhabitable by any mortal. A fierce storm was whipping overhead, the strong winds cutting through the air so fast it was impossible to hear anything past the continuous blowing. Not a soul was in sight. Overhead, that is. Deep in the ground, however, there lay an ever continuous pattern of tunnels. Not naturally formed tunnels, but a carefully devised layer of tunnels that could only be laid out by human hands. It would take a vast contingent of men an entire century to dig these many tunnels. It wasn't carved by a contingent of men. It was painstakingly dug out by one. You could hear his laborious moans as he slowly dug out the hard packed earth with his own hands, slowly, but surely making progress. The man stood six feet tall, with not a single ounce of fat on him. Despite the cold, he wore a loose fitting white tunic, with gold embroidery, making intricate patterns that never seemed to end. His brown jeans fit him well, as plain as they were. Both were smeared with dirt. The man didn't care, as he focused on his task. He hadn't taken a century either. He had taken ten.

A mere mortal would not be able to do that. However, this was no mere mortal. His looks seemed to only prove that point. Ebony locks, so long it covered his eyes, lustrous though he hadn't bothered to take care of it. He found no use for care, though he kept it above his neck so that it didn't hinder his movements. A strong chiselled jaw, one that belonged on only statues, or gods. His lips were full, and, despite the harsh environment, not cracked. This man could only be a god. The only imperfection on this man was his hands. His nails split, his hands practically ripped clean of skin, raw and bloody.

Bit by bit, he slowly carved his way through the ground underneath the frigid environment, not caring about the freezing temperatures that were unsuitable for mortals. And then, for the first time in about a century, he stopped.

The man tilted his head quizzically, hearing the clattering of teeth, the sound of a breath being exhaled, the constant tap of feet on the tunnel floor. He rolled his eyes dismissively, and continued scratching at the earth. His nose twitched as his nose was flooded by a familiar, distinct scent. The man merely ignored the woman next to him, never stopping. It was only when she put a hand tenderly on his arm, did he pause for more than a minute. She winced, taking in the gory sight that was his hands.

"Oh, why can't you just let yourself regenerate?" She took up his hands gingerly, cupping them. Bright rays of sunlight started radiating through the cracks between her fingers, illuminating the whole stretch of tunnel. The woman tried to peer past the man's curtain of hair, but she failed to establish eye contact. Looking down, she realised that the rays had long since faded. It took a while to register that they had been prolonging contact. For an extremely long time. Well, to her maybe. She honestly had no idea the amount of time that passed when she was in his presence. That was really enough holding now. She wrenched her hands from his, spinning to face away from him, clearing her throat in embarrassment as her face turned a very pleasant shade of red.

It was only until she stepped away from him that she started to feel the cold again. She hunched her shoulders and drew her head in, emulating a turtle, rubbing the exposed parts of her arms trying to regain some semblance of heat.

"Why on earth did you wear that out here?" The caverns seemed to fill with his deep, patient voice. There was a hint of amusement as he looked her up and down.

The lady spun around and glared at him. Sure, she had dressed this way for him, a scarlet red dress that left her arms and shoulders exposed, held up by a golden necklace. She was rather starting to regret it now, what with the cold. The only part of her that was relatively warm was her face, and that was due to her realising that he was currently… scanning her. At this point, her face was almost the same shade as her dress.

"I always wear this, what're you talking about?" _Nice cover up_.

The man plopped himself down on the floor, patting on the ground beside him. The very cold hard ground beside him. The woman raised an eyebrow at him, challenging him to even suggest for her to sit on that again. All he did was grin an award-winning smile at her. She deliberated sitting down next to him, before returning the smile with a devious smirk, and ceremoniously plopped herself down on his lap. The man's cheeks turned slightly red, unnoticed by the woman who was too busy dealing with the cold.

"Ger'off me Summer!" The man whined. The woman, who was apparently named Summer, simply leaned back into him.

The two sat back for a while, enjoying each other's company. Summer, not one for patience, started humming a tune. A rather out of pitch tune, the man thought. And clearly it showed on his face, because Summer's face loomed over his all of a sudden.

"Something wrong?" She applied more pressure onto him.

"Yeah, your singing's terrible." The man grinned sheepishly at her, instantly ducking his head and a fireball formed in Summer's hand and lobbed itself over him. It hit the wall, exploding into a harmless flash. Or so they thought.

Summer opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by a loud crack. A very loud crack. The two remained still for a moment, worried that a sound would set a cave-in off.

"Do you think we're safe?" Summer whispered harshly to the man. He slowly nodded, not really instilling confidence in Summer. Another crack sounded.

The man slowly put his arms on Summer's waist, and his muscles tensed up, ready to throw her to safety if need be. Wherever that safety might be in this dark ice cave.

"I'm going to start inching our way to the entrance, alright?" The man whispered, and Summer nodded. The man slowly got up, and the rate of cracking started to increase. Summer took a slow gulp. They couldn't die, but a cave falling on them would certainly hurt.

The man finally got to his feet, gripping Summer close to him. As soon as he set his feet stably on the ground, he grinned triumphantly at her. Before the ground fell out from under him, and everything went dark.

When the man came to, he was in a crater, probably made by him, in a cave. There was something weighing down on his chest, and when he craned his neck down, he saw Summer pressed flush down against him, her hair draping over his chest. He carefully lifted her up, giving her a quick spot check to make sure she hadn't broken anything. He laid her gently against a wall, before looking around. Interesting, he'd never seen this before. He inhaled the surrounding air in, and instantly started coughing. The amount of power in this place was… immense.

The very air in the cave was brimming with power. Ancient power, never touched in millennia. The ice around here was a perfect insulator too, making sure the energy never escaped. Could this be it? Was this what he was searching for, all these years? He decided to delve deeper into the cave. The more he delved deeper, the more the place piqued his interest. Fossils of mammoth, sea creatures and sabre-tooth cats lined the walls of the cave. It was strange that they would be all found in the same place.

He had to stop for a while, admiring the view. Deep in the ice, imprisoned in a translucent ice wall, facing him, was a leviathan of a sea serpent. The beast was thrice as large as any blue whale he had ever seen. Every inch of this beast was armed to the teeth. The spine, lined with spikes, each the height of an elephant. The hide of the beast, lined with a 6 foot thick shell. The tail, designed to propel this gargantuan beast through the water swiftly, with twice as long as its body. Its face was the worst end of it. The mouth was designed to unhinge like a serpent, and that was clear as day, for it was frozen with its mouth gaping wide, as if it was trying to devour an entire village. It's teeth, crooked, making it seem like it would hurt to close its mouth. The eyes, frozen in place for gods knows how long, but still conveying such fury. He held the beast's stare for a while, its hypnotic gaze drawing him. He finally wrenched his eyes off the leviathan and continued on his way. If he had bothered for a last glance, he would have seen the beast's eyes shifting, tracking him.

This cave seemed to go on for eternity. The more he moved in, the darker and more ominous it became. Every inch of his being was screaming at him to get out, but he resisted it. He could taste it now. It did leave an unpleasant aftertaste. But with that came the sweet success of victory, accomplishment. What he had been searching for all these years was almost in his grasp. And then he happened across it. A timeless chamber, lined with obsidian walls that seemed to suck in the light around them. But that didn't matter, for in the middle, laid on a simplistic platform, lay an egg.

The egg radiated light, so bright it might blind a mortal's eyes. On it was imprinted a symbol of an infinity sign. The man walked in, snatching up the egg triumphantly. It was over. Finally, he had finished. He only had a slight moment to enjoy his moment before the ceiling fell around him. Groaning internally, he ran out. How could he have been so stupid and not check for traps? Gripping the egg hard, he dashed back to the start of the cavern. He could have teleported out, but he needed to get Summer out too. He could almost see her, now. Her and that ridiculously hot dress of hers. But the ceiling falling had extended to this part too, and he saw a rather large crack on top of her forming. He couldn't reach her in time. Just like before. He could still see it, feel it. The hopelessness, the look of desperation on her face, her blond hair whipping around as she was surrounded by monsters. Not again. He made an instant decision. Throwing the egg down, he increased his speed, craning his neck forward in a desperate attempt to grab her.

As soon as he grabbed her hand, he teleported out. He turned back for a split second to see a bright flash emanate from the position the egg had been, and when his vision adjusted, he saw a silhouette of a man emerge out. As he felt the particles of Summer and him being swept away by the wind, he made a fervent wish that the man would be crushed under the slates of ice falling. He knew it wouldn't come true. The last thing he heard from the cavern was the roar of a beast that should have been long dead.

* * *

Olympus. A splendid place, filled with immortals, radiant palaces, and clouds. After all, it was a city high up in the sky. The base structure was made of clouds. Due to this, it was a rather peaceful place. At least it was supposed to be, if not for the commotion from the throne room.

If Olympus was radiant, the throne room was blinding. Twelve intricately designed thrones sat in a U-formation, each with a being that would tower over humans occupying it. The Olympians. They were currently arguing about how there had been a change in the balance of power. No longer did they feel like the strongest alive. Now, there was a new power. One that dwarfed them all. Naturally, this made them panic. The Olympians were not known for their efficiency. Accusations flew around, directed by those who harboured grudges. They wanted to know what changed. In a small, unnoticeable corner of the room, sat a woman tending to the flames of a hearth. She kept her head down, waiting for the situation to resolve itself.

The Olympians all fell silent though, as they were interrupted by a dark swirl forming into existence in the middle of their throne room. Two women stepped out of it. One, wearing an elegant dress containing the pattern of galaxies, emphasising the elegant curves of her perfect body. The patterns moved, asteroids smashing into planets, suns dying out and turning into black holes, destroying the very system they sustained. She wasn't wearing any shoes. Her dress was stunning, but her face was breathtaking. Not a single blemish made a mark upon her high cheekbones, her defined jaw. Her lips full and glistening. Her eyes, smouldering, beckoning, almost beckoning the gods in the room to come closer.

The woman besides her was almost as beautiful, wearing a black suit with a skirt and high heels that seemed to emphasise her legs. Her face, unblemished as well on her emphasised cheekbones or strong jaw. Her nose was slightly upturned, her eyes a nice dark brown. In a word, she looked regal. Gripping a clipboard to her chest, she looked around the room nervously, until her eyes settled on Artemis.

"Z- Zoë?" Artemis stared at the woman, unsure of what she was seeing. Her friend had died long ago, after all. Before they could cherish this touching moment, however, it was interrupted by the booming voice of Zeus.

"Who are you?" He boomed at them, pointing the famed lightning bolt in their general direction. For a while, the room was silent, only being filled with the sound of crackling lightning. The woman whose dress was made of galaxies stared at him, unaffected, and simply waved her hand. The lightning bolt instantly powered down.

"Hello, my name's Chaos. Maybe you've heard of me. Creator of the Universe?" She pressed her lips together as her melodious voice filled the room.

Zeus was reduced to a blubbering, grovelling mess. It wasn't everyday you got to see the creator of the universe.

"What brings you to our humble abode?" Simpered Zeus, bowing his head down. Zeus normally wasn't one to bow, but it was his creator. She could remove him from existence in the blink of an eye.

Clearing her throat, Chaos addressed the room. "I'm sure you've all felt the sudden power shift. A day ago, Antarctica experienced an earthquake of a humongous magnitude. That was my fault."

The throne room erupted into chaos again, leaving the creator looking very annoyed at getting interrupted. "Silence!" She shouted out, having enough.

"We're all under threat. The power shift was caused by an enemy, forgotten by time itself. His name is Eternity. That's all you need to know."

The gods looked at each other again, before Apollo asked, "Why was it your fault?"

Chaos looked a bit annoyed, sighing. "That was the fault of my… subordinate. He was digging in Alaska to rid us of Eternity's prison, but Eternity ended up escaping. In fact, he should be arriving now."

True to her word, the space around her warped for a second, followed by a burst of snow. A man stood next to Chaos, and she grabbed his arm. "This guy who can't even finish a simple job." She smirked at him, who looked upon the throne room with indifference, seemingly not noticing the extremely close proximity of the beauty next to him. Zoë stared at the two with a hint of annoyance. Did she have to do this now?

"It couldn't be avoided, the entire place was filled with traps." The man tiredly brushed his hair aside, attracting stares from the gods too. Somehow, he was better looking than a god.

"Now we have to protect you guys, since Eternity hates this place. He really does." Chaos sighed.

"With all due respect, Lady Chaos, who is this? And what role will he play?" Athena stared at the man warily. He looked relax, his stance open to attacks, yet he radiated danger.

Chaos pouted. "I bring you news of your impending doom, and this is what you focus on? Well, hands off, Pallas Athena, he's mine." The man next to her rolled his eyes. "His name is Winter, for your information."

"Winter? What sort of name is that?" Athena questioned. The man grinned at her with a slightly crooked smile, flashing his perfect teeth.

"It's a codename, my lady." He tilted his head in respect, and Athena's cheeks instantly coloured. "I am a fourth of my force. We govern the seasons, thus are named after our respective domains. In fact, they should be arriving soon. They do have other duties to attend to."

Ares, leaned forward in his throne, hand on his chin with a grin. War was his domain. The coming war meant a big boost in power for him. "So, then, what's the problem with this… Eternity? What makes him so strong? You didn't help us with the previous threats, so what makes this so different? Does he have a big army or something?" Straight and to the point. Ares never had an affinity with respectful trivialities.

"Eternity is but one man. The problem with Eternity is that he has a special gift. He has the power to take what is immortal… And make it mortal." Chaos ended ominously, her features schooled into something more serious.

There was a deadly silence that followed. So silent that a single thread falling would sound like a thunder clap. Everyone knew what this meant. Currently, everyone that was present enjoyed a certain freedom to do whatever they wanted. This new enemy could very easily rob them of it.

And then the throne room erupted. Olympians started shouting at each other, panicked. It was impossible to make yourself heard, what with twelve Olympians shouting at each other. Chaos simply waited for the gods to settle down, choosing instead to rest her head on Winter's shoulder, humming an unheard tune. Zoë massaged the bridge of her nose in annoyance, glaring at the two. This was not the time and the place.

Soon, the gods slowly grew silent, realising that they were wasting the creator's time. Calming themselves, they awkwardly looked into the centre of the throne room. Chaos smiled thinly back as she stepped forward.

"Now that we've finished, can we get back to business?" Chaos asked politely. The embarrassed gods simply nodded. "As I was saying, Eternity is no small matter. His forces may be small now, but trust me, he'll soon have amassed an army big enough to overwhelm Olympus. To try to stop him, I offer to lend you my elite squad. They're made up of twelve people, each personally trained by my Seasons."

"Yes, we'll accept any help you can provide, Lady Chaos." Zeus replied, nodding his head vigorously. Chaos smiled back in reply.

"Perfect. I suggest that we allocate eight to Camp Haven, and four to Olympus itself." Chaos listed out. Winter cocked his head to the side, confused. What was Camp Haven? As soon as he thought this, Zoë slipped Winter a note that read ' _Camp Haven's the combined camps of both Camp Half-Blood and Jupiter_ '. He slipped the note in his pocket, nodding in thanks at Zoë. She promptly ignored him.

"As for my Seasons, I believe that Spring should be assigned to Camp Haven, Autumn to Olympus itself, and Winter and Summer to the hunters. Anyone want to argue?" Chaos continued.

"I do! Why is Winter assigned to the hunt? As a boy, it would be difficult for him to accompany us." Artemis shouted out.

Winter's eyes narrowed slightly. He saw Chaos about to speak up for him, but it was time to step in. Better to quell any rebellions and slights now than to let them fester. He put his hand on Chaos' shoulder, eliciting a small 'eep' from a reddened Chaos, and started talking.

"Lady Artemis, trust me, it would be better for me to accompany you. Our powers are slightly influenced by what time it is in the year. Camp Haven has surely grown over the years, requiring the one most in control of her powers at this time, my fellow Lady Spring. Lord Autumn is needed at Olympus, due to his nature. Once he guards a place it will be impossible for the enemy to get through. Due to the nature of your hunters, we shall require two guardians. One to scout ahead, the other to stay behind to guard. This is, of course, only until we reach Camp Haven. There, we shall split ways, and I will go to guarding the camp." Winter smiled at Artemis, completely relaxed.

Artemis was silent for a while. She assessed Winter as he stood in front of her. Though the man was not in any stance, his entire presence screamed danger. She could tell that he would certainly not be a bad ally to have. After a few seconds of silence, she nodded in agreement. "May I request Zoë follow us, Lady Chaos?"

Chaos beamed, "Of course! Well, that'll be that I suppose. Good luck!" Chaos beamed out, leaving a gaping Zoë standing next to Winter. Winter bowed to the gods, before walking out of the throne room. The rest of the gods started flashing out.

Artemis got off her throne to stand in front of Zoë, looking at her through teary eyes. She reached a hesitant hand out, barely touching Zoë's arm. However, that only lasted for a while, before Artemis grabbed Zoë close, gripping on to her as if Zoë were to disappear again. Zoë allowed herself this brief moment of happiness, gripping Artemis back. The two stood there a while, simply drinking in the other's presence. No words were needed as they shared this tender moment.

"Zoë, what have you been up to these past few centuries? You must tell me!" Artemis exclaimed as they separated. Zoë opened her mouth to reply, but stopped as she remembered something.

"Perhaps we should do this later, my lady. We did send Winter off to the hunters, they're probably holding him at arrow-point!" Zoë started, while Artemis instantly flashed them to the hunter's camp. There, they were greeted with the sight of Winter with a dozen bows primed at him.

Once he saw them arrive, he grinned. "Hey, Zoë, Lady Artemis, could you help me out here?" As the hunters raised their bows threateningly at him again.

* * *

 **Actual IMPORTANT Author's Note: I suppose I should apologise for this extremely late post. I know it's been a long time (like really long), and I'm sorry. I've just gone through my GCE O-Levels, which I had to prioritise first. Added to this, my writing style has changed quite a lot. I feel like it's gotten much better than before, when I was rushing into things without planning out the basic story, or rushing the romantic side of things. It's pretty embarrassing when I look back on it. However, even though it's gotten better (in my opinion), I still have to get back into the flow of things. You may notice that my writing seems awkward, my characterisation off. It's been a long time since I wrote a fanfiction story, I'm super rusty, so I was a bit unsure of posting this up. I also don't have a beta, which makes things slightly harder for me to proofread everything. If anyone spies any errors, please let me know. But I've sorted everything and will mostly be free now (except for Overwatch), so I'll be updating this story for now.**

 **I'll mostly focus on this story, leaving The Younger Me for a later time. You may notice that I've deleted every story on my account except these two. They were, after all, pretty embarrassing. Sorry to anyone who wanted to use those stories. I don't have them anymore either as I've gotten all my data wiped, and had to get a new computer. So yeah sorry.**

 **I started writing Percy/Zoe fanfiction when the stories only occupied three pages. A stunning shortage, which I tried to rectify. Now, though, the pairing is actually blooming and there's this overflow of these kind of stories. It's quite amazing to see one of my favourite pairings evolve over the years. So I have no reason to write anymore, but I did promise you guys and myself that I'd finish this. Thus, I present my contribution.**

 **You might notice in this story that Percy's not OP. Shocker. I know, I've finally gotten some restraint. Whoda thunk it, right? Plus people ain't going to just hook up in four chapters either, nor will there be any one true romance kinda thing. Real life just isn't all one relationship. I think that's for the better, yeah? But then again, I'm making him out here to be some Adonis. Not every woman will be attracted to him, relax. But even in Son of Neptune, Hazel thought Percy was a god. Imagine if he was actually one. Then just imagine that, and the effect he'll probably have on people. Certainly, there's an overflow in the looks department. So he'll be turning some heads for sure.**

 **Speaking of Son of Neptune and stuff, I have not read Blood of Olympus. I don't think I ever will. I just... am unmotivated to? Anyways, moving on.**

 **To those who are new arrivals: If you didn't figure it out, Winter is Percy. I'll be delving into his past in future chapters. I'm reluctant to part with this information, but there are those who only read stories with Percy in it. Didn't want them to think it was an OC, after all. (Then again, this is at the bottom. Chances are they won't even read this.)**

 **For those who are still reading, from way back: Thank you for not losing faith. (or just coming back when notifications came (side note: fanfiction notification is terrible)) I'm sorry for making you wait this long, and I hope you'll enjoy this.**

 **So yeah, that's it. I suppose this is the only important AN I'll have. If anyone has any queries, just drop it in the reviews. I'll try to check notifications as much as possible. Thanks again, hope this was good enough for you guys. Also jesus this AN was 700 words long.**


	2. Chapter 2

_There, they were greeted with the sight of Winter with a dozen bows primed at him._

 _Once he saw them arrive, he grinned. "Hey, Zoë, Lady Artemis, could you help me out here?" As the hunters raised their bows threateningly at him again._

* * *

"Hunters, stand down!" Artemis yelled, hoping Winter was not offended. It would not be good to offend someone who personally knows Chaos.

Reluctantly, the bows lowered, but were kept at the ready if needed. Winter slowly extracted himself from the very prickly wall of arrows, and gave her a _subtle_ thumbs up. Great, if it wasn't bad enough, the male assigned to her was apparently like her brother. While she was busy glaring as much as humanely possible at the Season of Chaos, she missed the commotion that came from the hunters, who noticed the girl beside her.

"My lady, is that Zoë?" Thalia, her current lieutenant, asked hesitantly. Artemis simply smiled and nodded in confirmation. "But- but how, my lady?"

"I'm sure you are all confused at this turn of events. During the meeting on Olympus, we were informed by Chaos herself that there's a dangerous threat on the rise. Due to this, she's offered to provide us help. Zoë was working for her, and this is Lord Winter, the personification of the season. He, along with a fellow Season, will be guarding us until we reach Camp Haven."

"My lady, why would we need guarding? We've always managed before." Phoebe sniffed indignantly, throwing a side glance at Winter.

"The enemy, Eternity, has… a special power. He has the ability to turn gods killable." Artemis just blurted out. There was no beating around the bush, no sugar-coating. Artemis never had a way with words.

Instantly, a commotion rose out amongst the hunters. Artemis tried to calm the hunters down, but leading had never been her forte. Especially since the hunter's numbers had grown to a hundred. The only thing she could do is wait it out. Winter noticed this, and tensed up. The hunters stopped when they noticed the sky had turned grey, and snow had started to descend, even though it was spring.

"Yes, thank you for quieting down. Even if we are under attack by Eternity, there is no reason to panic. Panicking will just get you killed. As of now, I'll be the Season guarding you. Lady Summer, my fellow season, will be joining us tomorrow. She has to attend to something today. Is everyone fine with that?" Winter pressed his lips thinly together, displeased. The hunters nodded their heads, shivering, not dressed for the cold. Winter grinned and the snow stopped. Winter slowly walked away, back into the wilderness.

"Wait, where are you going?" Artemis questioned, confused.

"Don't worry, I'll be close. I'd rather remain out of sight though." Winter said, before dissolving into a flurry of snow.

"Well, he's rather edgy." Thalia drawled.

* * *

Zoë had been spending the entire day catching up with her mistress, as well as her fellow hunters. She only knew five of them now, the rest had all perished. Atalanta, Alexandria, Lydia, Phoebe and Thalia. She was currently walking through the camp, left immersed in her thoughts.

"Psst!" Zooë whipped around, and there was Thalia, rubbing her arm sheepishly. "Can I speak to you?" Thalia questioned. Nodding her confirmation, Zoë followed Thalia to a secluded spot.

"Yes, Thalia? What can I do to help you?" Zoë asked.

Thalia rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She inhaled deeply, steeling herself, and tenderly took off her tiara. She thrust her arms in front of her, offering the tiara to Zoë. "You should have this, you're the true lieutenant of the hunt after all."

Zoë hesitated for a second. Pressing her lips together, she placed both hands on the tiara. Thalia was about to let go of it, when Zoë gently guided the tiara to her chest. "This is yours, Thalia. Every lieutenant of the hunt was chosen for a reason."

"Yes, and Artemis chose me because I was the daughter of Zeus! Nothing more."

"Thalia! Artemis' reasons are her own, but I can assure you that she would not favour you simply for your heritage. Think of me, I am a daughter of Atlas, yet I lead the hunt for millennia. No matter what, Thalia, I can assure you that you are just as, if not more, suited to lead the hunt as I did."

Thalia looked at the tiara, chewing on her lip. Nodding, she placed the tiara back onto her head, looking as if the world had been lifted off her shoulders. Thanking Zoë, she ran off. Zoë smiled, shook her head and walked off. So deeply immersed in her thoughts was she that she bumped into someone. She lost her balance, wildly flapping her arms, her mouth agape.

Right when she was about to fall, a strong, calloused hand grabbed her arm, pulling her back up. She was treated to a not unpleasant view of Winter's face. The tips of their noses almost touching, eyes linked together. "Good evening, Miss Nightshade. What seems to occupy your mind this time?" Zoë limply hung on to the steady hand on her arm, at a loss for words. They held that position for a good while, before Zoë realised what she was doing and got up, shaking her arm.

"Nothing of your concern, Lord Winter."

Winter nodded, his eyes twinkling with a hint of all-knowing humour. He strolled off back into the forest, whistling to himself.

* * *

Winter sat on a branch on the outskirts of the camp, the darkness of the night enveloping him. He was keeping a watch out for the hunt, while they got a good restful sleep. They would need it for what is to come.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw leaves rustling. There was no wind around. He drew his ice sword from the molecules in the air. Raising it up to prepare to thrust it forward, he parted the leaves of the bush to reveal a very dishevelled Summer. "Heya, Winter." Winter offered her a hand, and she took it.

"Don't do that next time, I could have stabbed you." Winter grumbled. Summer cocked an eyebrow. Leaning in close to Winter's ear, Summer whispered, "You sure that's the only thing you wanna put in me?" She skipped off, humming some off-pitch tune as Winter reddened, gaping at her incredulously.

Shaking his head, Winter proceeded to walk out of the camp boundaries. Summer was there now, he had no need to stay with the hunters. The hunters were taking an awfully long time to pack up their camp. Winter supposed that had something to do with Zoë. They needed to hurry up, though. The presence of more than a hundred immortals, a goddess and two Seasons would surely attract trouble. Trouble he didn't want to face.

" _Our scent doesn't allow us to last for long, Percy. Demigods have a low life expectancy. We're hunted everyday of our lives. That's why we've got to make these moments count." A blond girl smiled at him, tucking her hair behind her ears. He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close._

" _I won't let anything happen to you. I swear it on the Styx."_

" _I know." She replied, tiredly._

Winter snapped out of his thoughts as he spied something on the ground. A footprint belonging to a canine. An extremely large canine. Hellhounds? If his hunch was correct, then… He pushed apart the bush next to him, which had concealed a valley. The valley housed dozens of tracks. Groaning, Winter broke into a mad sprint, heading back to the camp. He knew this would happen.

"You, hunter, where is Lady Artemis?" Winter asked a huntress, who turned around, revealing that it was Phoebe he asked.

"She's in her tent, my lord." Phoebe said grudgingly. It was clear she didn't like calling a male her superior. Winter had no time to deal with that. He headed for Artemis' tent, barging in. Artemis whipped around, spotting Winter, and opened her mouth in outrage.

"Yes, yes, I know you're about to scream at me for some invasion of privacy, but you need to make the hunters hurry up. There's a large pack of hellhounds, not far from here, and I'd prefer to avoid them."

Winter dashed off again. Artemis was left behind, trying and failing to come up with a coherent sentence. And then what Winter said registered.

"Everyone, we need to rush off, hurry!" Artemis yelled, emerging from her tent. The hunters, upon hearing her words, started to dissemble their tents at breakneck speed. A cold chill descended. A woman appeared next to Artemis, wearing a white tank top, jeans and converse. Artemis nocked an arrow and flicked it up to her face in a show of quick reflexes.

"Whoa, calm down there! My name's Summer, I'm a Season. The cold chill you feel right now is Winter, delaying the hellhounds for you. He can't take them all, though, so I'd suggest we move on now!"

* * *

Slash, roll, slash, duck. Winter was in a bit of a dilemma. He was vastly outnumbered by the dozens of hellhounds that surrounded him. He was trying his best to decimate them with his ice sword, but there were simply too many. Winter sent a blast of ice at a concentrated group, freezing three hellhounds. His hand drifted to his pocket, before he stopped himself. He wasn't worthy anymore. His hesitation cost him as he was batted by a giant hellhound paw, sending him slamming against a tree. Standing up, his eyes glowing with power, he conjured a blizzard, slowing down the hellhounds, and started hurling ice bolts at them. It wasn't enough, as the remaining hellhounds broke through. A hellhound snapped at him, which he narrowly dodged. He couldn't keep this up forever. Right as he thought that, Summer appeared in a blinding flash of light and grabbed hold of him, flashing back.

They were in a new forest now. Where, he had no idea, and he had no time to care. The hellhounds could follow them through shadows. The dense forest was their hunting ground. Winter looked around warily. He could hear the hellhounds flashing through each shadow. Artemis' hunters approached his clearing, their bows drawn.

The hellhounds were steadily closing in, and he scanned the surroundings, back to back with Summer. "It could be a lot worse, right?" Summer laughed nervously.

A hellhound burst out of the foliage, but was quickly disintegrated by a flick of Artemis' bow. Winter frowned. That was a scout. The hellhounds were testing the ability of the hunters, assessing their most vulnerable points.

"Summer, start projecting light, please?" Winter requested, keeping his eyes trained on the trees around them. Summer nodded, and rose up into the air, before beginning to radiate rays of pure sunshine. This limited the hellhounds to further shadows, which at least prevented them from surprising them.

He narrowed his eyes. There was the sound of something rapidly teleporting around them. Not something, somethings. "Everyone down!" The hunters hit the dirt, and he sent icicles into the woods all around him. There were various sounds of yelping, and dust exploding. That had gotten a fine number of them, he reckoned.

A pack of five hellhounds charged at a hunter who was still disoriented, one opening its gaping maw to crunch her body. The hunters retaliated quickly by sending arrows at the hellhound, instantly disintegrating it. The four hellhounds rammed into the hunters, scattering their ranks. Winter noted that the hunters were not coordinated as much as before. He'd have to fix that. He grabbed his ice sword and thrust it at a hellhound that had charged too close. The hellhound burst into dust, showering the nearby hunters with golden powder. The hunters attempted to rally, sending arrows at the hellhounds. They weren't concentrating their fire enough, leading to ineffective results. He turned to Artemis, who was knocking another arrow in her bow.

"Artemis, command your hunters! What are you doing? They're going to need a proper leader if you want to leave this conflict alive. Get your act together!" Winter dashed off, not bothering to see if Artemis listened. He pushed a hellhound back, saving a hunter from certain death, before throwing his sword into the beast.

Artemis scowled at the man who dared lecture her. She was an Olympian Goddess, he had no right to talk to her like that. Her hesitation caused her to lose a hunter, something she felt in her heart as a hellhound bit her in two. Dimly she registered that it was Mavis, a daughter of Hecate.

"Hunters, what are you waiting for! Concentrate on that hellhound near Atalanta!" A voice next to her rang out, capturing all the hunter's attention. They immediately responded. Artemis looked to her left, seeing Zoë shouting out commands at the disoriented hunters. It worked, as the hunters focused down the hellhound that Atalanta was wrestling with.

"Now on that bigger one!" The giant hellhound let a growl out, leaping at Zoë, but was quickly vanquished. Clearly the hellhounds thought that the losses they sustained were not worth it, and ran off quickly. A brief reprieve, Artemis thought.

* * *

"What was that?" Winter growled. Artemis stood her ground, glaring at him.

After the battle, the Seasons, Zoë, and Artemis had departed for her tent. Artemis could tell that Winter was angry with her, but she would not back down. The Season had no right to tell her how to command her hunters.

"I don't know what you mean, Lord Winter." Artemis forced the words through gritted teeth.

Winter straightened himself up, his eyes radiating power with fury. "Artemis, how do you expect to win this war, when you don't listen to those who are your allies? Not only that, but you don't seem to have control of your hunters!"

"Lord Winter, the hunt has worked this way for millennia. I doubt you'd know how to guide us properly." Artemis hissed at him.

"Yes, we've seen how that worked out! You lost a hunter, Artemis, because the rest were too scattered and unorganised to even help! Heck, you almost lost one of your oldest, and you're telling me this way works?"

"Lord Winter! That's enough." Zoë spoke up from next to her. At least her friend was on her side.

Winter lingered, about to reprimand Zoë as well, but instead he stormed off. Zoë would handle this, since Artemis obviously was not ready to listen to him.

Summer finally spoke up, displeased with how Artemis reacted if the pressed lips were anything to go by. "You know, Lady Artemis, it would be wise to listen to Winter. He's gone through many battles, and to simply ignore his advice would be detrimental to our cause." Summer departed from the tent, intent on finding Winter to placate him.

"My lady, why did you ignore Lord Winter?" Zoë pressed. Oh gods, not her too.

"I didn't ignore Lord Winter, Zoë. I just wasn't prepared for the way he… commanded me." Artemis had no kind words for the Season.

"Perhaps you should prepare yourself for more of these orders, my lady. Or perhaps it might be good to understand how to lead these kinds of big groups."

"Zoë, I think I perfectly know how to-"

"No. my lady, you don't!" Something furious flashed in Zoë's eyes. "My lady, you lost a hunter, and not only that but you almost lost Atalanta too! If I hadn't stepped in, that hellhound would have torn her to shreds.

"B-but…" Artemis trailed off weakly. It was true, the girl had only died from her hesitation, and all because the hunters were scattered.

"My lady, Lord Winter has experienced these kinds of things before. He has years of battle experience. You should make amends with him, and ask him for his guidance." Zoë expected her to seek advice from a man? She shot her an incredulous look, one that Zoë caught.

"Artemis, I'm sure you too realise that just because he's a man, does not mean that his advice or experience is useless. Just… give it a try, for me." Zoë's tone softened significantly. "For me?"

Artemis sighed in defeat. Fine, she would do it. But it didn't mean she had to enjoy it.

* * *

"The nerve of that woman!" Winter exploded as soon as he and Summer were alone. "I'm trying to help her, yet she looks down on me based on my sex! I bet if you had told her what to do, she would even lick your boots!"

Summer took Winter's hand. "Now, now, Winter. Firstly, I'm wearing converse." She raised her foot so he could see the popular shoes, as well as the shapely legs they were attached to. "Secondly, you've got to remember that these are Olympian Gods. They don't change their ways that easy." Summer pat Winter's cheek. "Give them time to come around, I'm sure they'll realise that you're trying to help."

"I know, Summer." Winter said after a while. "It's just… frustrating. I really thought they'd have changed, you know?"

" _But we gods have never been good at keeping oaths. You were born because of a broken promise, eh? Eventually we'll become forgetful. We always do."_

"I guess some things just are too farfetched in this world." Winter finished tiredly.

"So, you're from this world then?" Summer latched on to that. _Damn_ , Winter thought, he had slipped up in the moment.

"Yes, I was a demigod." Winter admitted.

"You've never told me this before, it's good to finally put a backstory to this handsome face." She winked at him. That was Summer, never serious, always playing. "Besides, Winter, these things take time. Immortals take long times to change, because they simply don't need to. Why would you feel the need to, when you have all the time in the world. There's no rush."

"I expected more." Winter admitted softly. "I'm disappointed in them."

"I don't think you should be disappointed for much longer, Winter." Summer let go of his hand, and it clenched around empty air reflexively, feeling empty. "After all, Artemis is walking towards us right now."

Winter could see the goddess stalking unhappily towards him. "So she is."

"I suppose I'll go scout now?" Summer asked. Winter nodded back. "Before I go, tell me this. What's your real name?"

Winter weighed the consequences of revealing parts of his past to Summer. _Fear_. _Mistrust_. _Loneliness_. _Hurt_. Yet he couldn't bring himself to not tell Summer. He leaned in close, and whispered in her ear, "Perseus Jackson."

Winter walked off, leaving Summer standing where they originally were. _Perseus Jackson_. She tasted it on her tongue, rolling it around, and decided she quite liked the sound of it. With a soft giggle, Summer vanished.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there we go. Chapter 2, a week later. I'm very unsure as I write this, because while I know where the story needs to go, I have yet to perfect my pacing. Plus the fact that all my dialogue sounds the same. I'm really not sure of what to do here, but I guess it's a moving experience. I hope I can keep up with these weekly updates, but knowing how Overwatch Christmas season starts in like 3 days, probably not. We'll see. Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

"Lord Winter." Artemis said in a neutral tone.

"Lady Artemis."

"It has come to my attention that you are… in some aspects, correct."

"Some aspects?" Winter turned to face the other direction, feigning disinterest.

Artemis clenched her fists, annoyed at the man. "Fine! All aspects."

"How so?" Winter finally turned back to her, cocking an eyebrow.

"I have no idea how to control the hunt. I used to, but as the mythical world expanded, I began to get more, and more girls, and I am not suited for leading a small army. So, I'm sorry, and if you could help me, I would be grateful."

"Thank you, Lady Artemis. The thing you need to know is how to command them. It's no longer a small hunt where everyone can do their own thing. No, now you have a small army. You need to establish yourself as the commander, able to control the tide of battle. Not only that, you need a more effective command system, there's no way you and Thalia can keep up with more than a hundred of girls. Is that alright with you?" Winter propositioned. This was the most diplomatic way to solve the issue. It allowed Artemis to maintain her pride and not be commanded, yet allowed Winter to get his way. She would have to figure it out herself.

Artemis walked off, obviously disgruntled. Still, it was a step forward for the immortals. Maybe this wasn't such a bad day after all, Winter mused.

* * *

Summer walked along with Zoë, humming a broken tune with a skip in her step. Of course, she ignored the annoyed looks that Zoë sent her way. It always was one of her favourite pastimes, buggering Zoë. Something about seeing her face contort in all sort of funny ways was just funny.

"Hey, Zoë, you're from this pantheon, right? Can I ask you a question?"

"What is it now, Lady Summer?" Asked Zoë testily.

"Do you know who Perseus Jackson is?"

Zoë stopped so suddenly that you could literally hear a screech emanating from her boots. Oh, there she was making those funny faces again. "Where did you hear that name?" She breathed.

"Oh, bits over here and bits over there." Summer waved her hand flippantly.

"Well, Perseus Jackson is… was, the hero of Olympus. He won them the war against Kronos, and the one against Gaea. I heard he was the subject of two prophecies."

"Did you know him?"

"… Yes. It was the eve of the second Titan war. Lady Artemis had been captured, by my father, Atlas. I had foolishly excluded Perseus from the quest, because I thought males to be inferior. However, he snuck aboard, and assisted us throughout. He killed the Nemean Lion, with space food." Zoë smiled, almost fondly. "He wasn't like the other heroes, that's for sure. I just wish I knew that, before I died."

"Pity…" Summer started, "Wait, what was that about you dying?" But Zoë wasn't listening, instead staring up into the sky.

"But enough about my time with him. It was too short to understand who Perseus Jackson really is. If you want, you can ask Thalia. I believe she was closest to him in his final days." Zoë walked off, back into deep thought.

"R-right." It was Summer's time to make weird contortions of her face. Perhaps she shouldn't dig into their past, it was way too confusing. But where would be the fun in that? Where was Thalia, though? …Actually, who was Thalia?

* * *

Winter was almost happy lounging on his rock. He really was, you know. After becoming a Season, there wasn't any time for him to relax. It was mostly his fault, going into a self-exile in Antarctica. The sun shone down on the rock, bathing him in soothing light. He quite liked Spring's season, much better than the actual person. The way they thought did not agree with each other. Spring was too naïve, unwilling to do what needed to be done. They had quite a few arguments about that.

" _You know, you have this strange knack to piss off people with huge amounts of power, Percy." A blonde girl bumped his shoulder, laughing at his misfortune._

 _He pouted back at her, his sea-green eyes glinting with mirth. "Maybe they just all want a piece of this!" He flexed, puffing out his chest._

 _The girl snorted, shaking her head in affection._

It was not good to dwell on the past. Luckily, his attention was drawn away from his reminiscing by the subtle tapping of footsteps. "Tell me, Lord Winter. Why is Lady Summer asking about Perseus Jackson?" Zoë leaned over him, her brow furrowed. _Cute_ , he added as an afterthought.

"How should I know, Zoë? Ask one of the hunters. He is their hero, after all." Winter waved his hand dismissively.

"Lady Summer would only talk to you about this. Now tell me that you told her about Perseus Jackson, please." Her voice dropped dangerously low.

"Alright, so I did. What of it?" Winter dropped his hand, staring at Zoë.

"How did you know him?"

"… I met him, once or twice. He was in Antarctica, going on and on about someone dying. I think he had gone mad from grief. A tragic end for a Greek hero, indeed."

"I see." Zoë turned away, her fists clenched. "Thank you for telling me, Lord Winter." There was an unmistakable quaver in her voice as she walked off.

Winter sat up from his lounging. Interesting.

The sun was setting dangerously low, which would leave them vulnerable to attacks from hellhounds. That was the most pressing matter, since the pack was still lingering, but there were others out there too. He would have to make sure Artemis took the necessary precautions to prevent shadow creatures from entering. Hopefully she would have thought up of an order of command. Sighing, he got up and walked back to the camp.

* * *

"Thalia, help Anastasia and Sarah set up their tent! Phoebe, light those fires up!" Artemis called out to her hunters. It looks like Artemis had taken his advice to heart. With the orders she was giving, not letting the hunters just lounge around, the camp was taking a shorter amount of time.

"Lady Artemis, perhaps you should ask your hunters to light even more campfires. I think it would be better to ward against the creatures of the night."

"I see. Lord Winter, I too have a suggestion. I believe that it would help us both if you had an envoy to relay messages to me. This is Hannah, she'll be assisting you." At this, she dragged out a blond thirteen year old from behind her. "Well, goodbye!" Artemis ran off, instructing more hunters.

It was a smart move, Winter had to admit as Artemis ran away. This way, he could give her advice without her pride getting hurt by having to listen to him. It was a very unpleasant move, however, as the blond girl glared at him. A blond girl with grey eyes.

 _He screamed, he screamed as he clutched her blond curls to his chest, he screamed until his voice failed him. Her blood soaked the ground around them. Around him, he could hear the sounds of metals clashing, and people screaming. The sounds of warfare. For him, the moment seemed to last an eternity._

"Good evening, Lord Winter." Hannah spat out.

"A daughter of Athena, then?" He asked. She nodded her confirmation. Sighing, Winter walked onwards, cursing stupid gods and their stupid pride. Hannah stomped forward, trailing behind him.

"So, Hannah, what's your last name?" Winter was met with silence. "Come on, if we don't be civil now, there's no way either of us are going to enjoy this."

Hannah ground to a stop. "I will never enjoy this." She hissed, pointing at him angrily. Winter raised his hands defensively.

"Calm down there, we're supposed to be on the same side." Winter laughed. That seemed to make Hannah angrier, though. Hannah stomped off, and Winter was left hopelessly behind. This was going to be difficult. Sighing, he chased after the girl with golden curls and grey eyes.

* * *

Thalia huffed in annoyance. Artemis had summoned her immediately to her tent after they finished setting up the camp. She was working her bone dry, telling her to mind the hunters, every single step of the day. It wasn't usual for Artemis to micromanage everything. She brushed aside the flap of Artemis' tent, greeted by the sight of Atalanta, Lydia and Phoebe.

"Ah, now we've all gathered." Artemis gestured to the spot beside her, inviting Thalia to take a seat. "I think that we're in need of reforms. The hunt has gotten bigger, Thalia cannot keep up with everyone. So maybe we could split up into factions, with each of you in charge of one. We'll split up into four, about twenty-five hunters in one faction." Artemis looked rather proud of that. Thalia had to roll her eyes, this definitely was not thought up by her half-sister. Artemis hated change, as did a lot of gods.

Thalia and the others nodded their agreement, discussing about how they would split up the hunters, and how to distinguish between the different factions. It was quickly decided that the hunters would wear their silver uniforms with different highlights, blue for Thalia, green for Lydia, red for Phoebe and yellow for Atalanta.

"That was boring." Phoebe commented tiredly as she watched the flow of a nearby stream besides Thalia.

"It needed to be done." Thalia tried to keep her voice level, but she was internally cheering. She could be free now! She started to do a little dance inside her head, celebrating her newfound freedom.

Atalanta crouched down next to the stream, running her hand through the water. "I wonder what this on?" She looked up, sharing a look with Thalia. Whatever this was, they were sure it wasn't their goddess. It was probably the influence of Zoë, or maybe those Seasons.

Thalia shrugged, skipping off on her way. Suddenly, the world seemed like a brighter place, the birds were singing, the flowers were blooming, she was free! She could just about punch the air right now, if her cousin could see her now! Thalia sobered up from her happier mood, clenching her fists. If only her cousin could see her now…

Lydia and Phoebe glanced at Thalia's back. Once Percy had died, she'd never been the same. Sure, she laughed along with the hunters, hunted with them, but she occasionally zoned out. Sometimes, it was like she wasn't with them. Thalia would just stare out at something distant that caught her fancy, one day a flock of birds, one day a herd of deer, shutting out everyone around her. And it was all the fault of Perseus Jackson. Before his assumed death, Percy had been staying with the hunters. Brought in by Thalia, after they found him wandering in the wilderness, he had clung to her like a sort of parasitic insect. It was only around Thalia that Percy seemed sane again. But he had just suddenly gone, one day, and the hunt didn't know why. But it seemed like Thalia would never be the same, something in her just broke that day.

Thalia seemed to wilt on the spot, collapsing on a nearby rock. She stared at the daisies in front of her, drained of all the positive energy that made her Thalia Grace. The hunters were used to this, and let her be.

But then the woman in the red dress showed up.

"Hey, is that daughter of Zeus Thalia? There sure are a lot of them…" Summer asked the huntresses. She had been searching all over for the 'Thalia' that Zoë had mentioned to her, and in a group of all females, that task was almost insurmountable. By now, she felt like she knew more about Thalia Grace than she did about Perseus Jackson, no, scratch that, she was _sure_ she knew more about Thalia Grace than her secretive companion. She knew who was her godly parent, what Thalia looked like, what Thalia acted like, what she smelled like even! She had gone through all the

The two huntresses confirmed her suspicions, and Summer ran up to the daughter of Zeus.

"Hey, Thalia!" Summer was met with silence. She waved her hand in front of Thalia's face, trying to gain her attention.

Thalia's glazed eyes refocused on the Season. "Oh! Good evening, Lady Summer. What do you need?" Thalia beamed up at her, and for the first time Summer felt like she wasn't the brightest source of light in the room.

"No, I was just wondering how you knew Perseus Jackson?" And just like that, the grin that Thalia sported disappeared.

Thalia glared at the ground, her hands trembling. "Sorry, I don't feel like talking about that now, Lady Summer." And just like that, Thalia left.

Summer scratched the back of her head in confusion. Why were all these hunters so weird? All she wanted to know was who that blasted Winter was. She was starting to wonder what exactly happened to him, because the way the hunters acted were just abnormal. The worst was Thalia, who seemed to take Percy's disappearance as if she was the one who died. What was their relationship to each other? It was driving her mad, not knowing. She was left to exit in frustration.

* * *

As night fell, Winter slowly grew more paranoid. He was staying on the edge of the camp, with his own personal campfire apart from the brightly lit camp of the hunters. It made a stark contrast, his campfire barely illuminating the surroundings. He would be fine with this, since he could protect himself, if he was alone. But strangely, Hannah had stayed with him. She was cooking a marshmallow that Winter had summoned over the campfire. With Hannah here, he didn't know what would happen. He did not want to have to protect both of them.

"So, tell me. If you aren't happy with our arrangement, why don't you go eat with the other hunters?" Winter asked. The glare that he got in return was downright chilling. "Now, now, let's get along here." He raised his hands placatingly.

"If you must know, Lady Artemis told me to follow you. And I will, until she tells me otherwise." It looks like Hannah was the type of person who was extremely loyal, to the point of sacrificing her own happiness to just follow orders.

"What's your name?" Winter asked after an uncomfortable pause.

"Hannah, I thought you already knew that."

"Your last name."

"Hannah Smith."

"Where and when are you from?"

"London, 2065."

This girl really was hard to talk to. Winter was trying to hold up a conversation, but it seemed like she really didn't want to. "Why'd you join the hunters?"

"Not for you to know." Winter sighed internally. The girl had less social skills than him, and that was saying something.

"Fine then, keep to yourself. I guess we'll just sit in- Hold on, what was that?" Winter squinted at the outskirts of his dimly lit area, sure that he had seen something flit in and out, as if testing him.

"Have you seen something, Lord Winter?" Hannah gave him a look that was finally something other than derision. Winter got up slowly, carefully stepping around twigs littering the floor around the tent.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glint of something shiny. An icicle was forming, ready to shoot at Hannah. Winter shot his arm out, but he couldn't control the ice. Yelling expletives in his head, he dashed to Hannah and shoved her out of the way, exposing himself to the icicle. The icicle pierced through his abdomen, and he fell to the ground, coughing up golden ichor.

"Hannah, it's an ice wraith! Stay back!" Winter gripped the icicle, and pulled hard. He gave it a quick once over. It was certainly sharp enough to pierce through anything. He slowly got up, grimacing at the pain. "Don't run to Artemis for help, you'll only lead the wraith back to them."

A creature, cloaked in a tattered grey robe stepped forward. Hannah noticed that the creature limbs were malformed, stretched long and thin disproportionate to its body. But the most terrifying thing about the creature was its face, for where there was supposed to be features, there was an empty void. As Hannah stared inside, she felt herself being drawn in, filling her with a sense of euphoria, calling out to her. Her instincts however, felt terror, and she fought a battle internally about whether or not to approach the wraith.

"Sorry about this, Hannah." She dimly registered Winter talking to her, before she was slapped out of her daze. "I need you to light your arrows on the fire, and shoot the ice wraith when it's open. Don't stare at its face, whatever you do."

What Winter wouldn't give to have Summer with him right now. He knew that if he had been practicing with his powers, he would have been able to control everything the ice wraiths sent at them, but after Antarctica his powers were rusty. He hoisted the icicle up, and hurled it like a javelin straight at the ice wraith's body. It batted it aside with a wave of a hand effortlessly, but Winter had planned for that. He was already charging at the wraith, his ice sword forming. The wraith chuckled, a deep, grating sound that sent chills down Hannah's spine.

He sliced at the wraith, who dodged gracefully, its malformed body belying its elegant nature. The wraith struck with long ice nails that it formed, but Winter forced the hand back by slicing at its wrist. The ice wraith had an advantage with range, but if he could get right beside it, the wraith would not be able to slice quickly at him. Thinking quickly, he threw a pile of snow straight at the wraith's face, obscuring its view of him. He dashed, grabbing its hand and chopping it off, ducking underneath the flailing opposite hand. The wraith shrieked loud enough to make Winter wince. And then the wraith was engulfed in flames, melting in front of him. Surely enough, the arrow struck true, right into the heart of the wraith.

"Nice shot," he complimented Hannah, who merely turned away. Perhaps he could make this work after all.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, I sort of was slow with this update because I was watching Jojo and playing Overwatch and Ark. My bad, so sorry. Also, I wasn't very happy with this chapter. Way too much dialogue, not enough substance. The reason for this is because I didn't want them to reveal their entire backstory first, so the story should pick up in later chapters. That's pretty much it, yeah. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Winter hissed in pain as Summer cauterized the wound on his abdomen.

"Just a few inches higher and it could have reached your heart, you know? Then we would need to wait for you to reform, which could take a couple of centuries at best. Why are you always so careless?" Summer had been admonishing him non-stop for the entire duration, which stretched the already long minutes to what seemed like hours.

"I don't know what you expected me to do, it's not like I would just lie down and die!" Winter protested.

Finally, Summer sent a healing pulse into him, causing his wound to close in on itself. Winter watched the flesh knit itself together in morbid fascination.

"On top of that," Summer continued, glaring at him, "You had to be hit by an ice wraith, which gives me the extra work of defrosting the area around your wound, before healing it. If it were someone else, I would send them off with a torch to make them do it themselves."

Winter smirked at her. "Oh? What makes me so special?"

"If I let you out of my sights, you'll probably walk off a cliff on your own idiotic accord." Summer deadpanned, causing Winter to laugh sheepishly. "An ice wraith should not have given you so much trouble. It's your own domain, and it's frankly an embarrassment that it got the better of you."

"Well, I am a bit rusty. Give it time, I'll make sure to practice my powers." Winter held up his hands placatingly.

"We don't have time, Perseus. You're lucky that the child was there."

"Fine, I'll start effective immediately. Don't call her a child, that makes it seem like I was more useless than a baby."

"In some cases, you are!" Summer threw her hands up in the air, exasperated.

"Hey, that's not- Hold on, when did you start calling me Perseus?" Winter realized. He eyed Summer, who chuckled nervously.

"I mean, why not, right? That is who you are." Summer replied after deliberating carefully.

Winter paused uncertainly. He hadn't gone by that name in a long time.

"Winter, are you okay?" Summer touched his arm gingerly, almost as if she was afraid that he would break.

"Call me Percy."

"What?"

"Percy is what all my friends called me. I figure if you are going to call me by my real name, it might as well be that." Winter decided. He knew he had made the right choice, because Summer beamed up at him, grabbing him in a hug. He returned it, enjoying the prolonged contact.

"Alright, _Percy_." Summer purred in his ear. "If you were wondering, my name's Emily Dent."

Summer skipped off, leaving Winter standing there, clenching his hand. Goosebumps popped up from where Summer's hot breath had lingered. That woman would be the death of him.

Winter slowly walked back to his tent, taking note of his surroundings. Eerie shadows danced in between the tents, a projection of the large campfires lit all around. Crickets chirped somewhere out of sight, and the wind came in short bursts, causing the leaves of the bushes to shiver. The atmosphere was driving Winter crazy, the air laden heavy with tense emotion, the feeling that he usually felt before a battle. Every one of his senses was on overdrive, every small little detail screaming at him if he thought it was out of place.

He reached his tent that seemed lonely and dismal in comparison to the congregation of hunter tents. To his surprise, when he brushed aside the tent flap to enter, he saw Hannah setting up a sleeping bag beside his. "What are you doing?" He asked nervously.

"Lady Artemis has commanded me to keep an eye on you. That includes during night time. What if a monster would invade while you were sleeping?" She glared at him, daring him to say anything. Somehow, the thirteen-year-old managed to look very intimidating, and so Winter let it be. It wasn't like he was planning to sleep anyways.

Sighing, Winter closed the tent flap and sat outside, staring at his dismal campfire. He had promised to work on his powers, but the problem was that he had no idea how to train with them. His powers had always used to grow with him, and because he had such immense raw base power, he never had to train. But things were different now, the enemies he was facing were much deadlier and the powers he was wielding would not simply grow proportionately with him.

Winter summoned an icicle in his left hand, feeling an unfamiliar chill running through him as he did so. He certainly had an affinity with the element, that was for sure, but he was still inexperienced with it. He dispelled the icicle, and instead raised his right. The water in the air condensed into tiny balls of water, accompanied with the familiar tug in his gut. He hadn't controlled water in a long time, but it was clear how his control over it remained. He waved his right hand, making the balls merge to form a liquid Pegasus. Every single feather could be seen on its wings, ever thread of hair on its mane, and if not for the fact that it was clear water, it would have looked almost lifelike.

"That's pretty." Someone said, right next to his ear, and he dropped the water, drawing his ice sword to point it at the throat of Hannah. She fixed him with a deadpan stare, and Winter realised that he had been controlling much more than just the balls of water in front of him. Hannah was drenched from the water that crashed down once he lost his focus, which was once surrounding the tent. Perhaps he didn't have as much control as he thought. "So is that one of your domains too, Lord Winter?"

Winter smiled at her, though internally he was struggling with himself. He was unsure of whether to tell the truth, and try to get Hannah to swear an oath of secrecy, or to lie, and risk Hannah figuring out that a season had nothing to do with bodies of water. But Hannah didn't pick up on that, as she cleared her throat, staring pointedly down at the sword positioned at her throat. Winter lowered it slowly, hesitant to reply.

"Hannah, I'm going to need you to tell no one about this." He fixed her with the most serious stare he could muster, hoping that she will understand why he wanted her to keep his secret.

Pleading ice blue eyes met with defiant stormy grey, and after holding the gaze for a while, a reluctant understanding showed in those familiar grey eyes. "I guess Lady Artemis only told me to assist you with monsters, not to spy on you." Winter let out a sigh of relief that he didn't realise he had been holding. Hannah sat down next to him. "So, why don't you want to reveal your big secret?"

Winter touched Hannah on the shoulder, drying her up.

"It has to do with a long time ago. Let's just say that I made some people very angry, a friend of mine got threatened, and now I'm on the run." Winter shrugged. That was a very brief summary of what had happened over the years, but it was enough.

"Aren't you a Season? Like, the chosen of Chaos? The most powerful being in all of the known universe? Wouldn't the person be safer staying with you? Why are you running scared when you could just obliterate anyone who threatened you?" Hannah asked dubiously.

"Gods, and this includes Seasons as well, can't interfere with mortal lives. You know this, even Lady Artemis can't really do much, which is why she has you hunters. By using her domain of maidens as a loophole, she's able to hunt down monsters and the like. So, in an ironic sort of way, by staying away from her, I'm keeping her the safest she could be." Winter smiled, looking back over his shoulder at the camp, where he knew she was safe.

"So she's still alive?" Hannah asked, curious.

"Older than me, even. She's immortal, but can be killed in battle, like you hunters. I just hope she will understand why I did this." Winter stared into the fire, suddenly feeling the weight of all his years on him.

Hannah studied him, taking note of his diminished stature, and Winter felt his heart clench painfully. Those eyes reminded him so much of his painful past.

"You love her?"

"Of course I do." Winter answered back. "I loved every moment I had with her."

"So where is she these days?" Hannah asked.

"Closer than you realise." Winter winked at Hannah, chuckling to himself. If it was possible, Hannah's glare got even more intense.

"Go back to practising your powers." Hannah got up, heading to their tent. "And why don't you just work on your stamina, first." With that, she entered the tent.

"Stamina, huh." Winter mused, summoning his icicle again. Though he always summoned one of these, he still never had them out for long. He usually released his control of them straight away. Already, he was feeling the strain of keeping the icicle summoned for a while. Perhaps stamina was the best place to start after all.

* * *

"Welcome back, Zoë! So, tell us of all your adventures, what did you do with Lady Chaos?" Phoebe questioned excitedly.

Zoë was having the time of her life. It felt good, being together with the hunters after so long. They were grouped around one giant roaring campfire, all catching up with each other. The five she knew were all sitting next to her, enjoying her presence.

"There was a bit of this, a bit of that. Mostly, my job as secretary is to handle the meetings in between pantheons."

"Any exciting stories?" Lydia asked.

"Oh, plenty. There was a time when the Norse and Egyptian pantheons met, let me tell you, that was a mess. It all started with this demigod named Dea, a daughter of Isis, who's a goddess from Egyptian mythology. Somehow, she managed to sell her soul to Hel, the goddess of the Underworld for Norse mythology. Long story short, Isis was not happy, and the situation almost broke out into war. Luckily, Lady Chaos decided to step in. She sent me, since the pantheons involved did not know who she was. Dear god, the amount of legal loopholes I had to find in order to free Dea was way too much work." Zoë waved her hands around flippantly.

The hunt listened, enraptured. They'd never even heard of other pantheons.

"Wait, what happened to your accent?" Alexandria finally realised that the accent that was unique to Zoë was gone.

"I was forced to learn proper English by Lady Chaos, repeatedly." Zoë shuddered, remembering the long, tiring sessions she had with Chaos. At first Chaos had tried giving her the carrot, but eventually she had to resort to the stick. The result was not something Zoë was particularly fond about.

" _How do you feel about this now, Zoë?" Chaos smirked at her._

" _Thou shall release me now! This is mindless." Zoë yelled at her, her neck a stiff pole trying to balance fourteen books at once._

" _You, Zoë. You is the word you're looking for." The grinning Chaos turned away, uncaring that her secretary was struggling to release herself from the chair she was tied to. Pulling too far, Zoë accidentally toppled._

" _Lady Chaos! Release me from this infernal torture chamber!" Zoë snarled._

 _Chaos threw the key for the chains binding her to the chair away, with an elegant wave of her hand. "Whoops! Looks like you're not getting out anytime soon!" Chaos beamed._

Zoë shuddered. While she had enjoyed the time spent with Chaos, she was in no hurry to repeat the rigorous training that would probably have killed her. The hunt giggled of her traumatised expression, unaware of what she had been put through.

"So what are the Seasons like?" Phoebe asked.

Zoë mulled over that for a bit. The Seasons were all highly complicated, there was no easy way to sum them up in a single sentence. "Spring is innocent, pure. She's very righteous, in some ways she way too naïve. Summer is playful, she loves to make jokes and mostly spends her time playing pranks on humans or spending it with Winter. She's pretty much the most powerful Season. Autumn is lazy, he hates to do work, but his melee combat capabilities are sublime. And Winter, the newest season, spent all his time in Antarctica, so I have no idea what he is like. Chaos didn't even let me see him being recruited."

"Perhaps it's someone you knew in your previous life?" Lydia theorised.

Zoë shrugged, not too bothered with not knowing the personification of winter. He didn't strike her as anything special, in any way.

Artemis plopped down next to her, grabbing her in a one armed hug. "Well, whatever it is, it's good to see you again, Zoë."

Zoë surveyed the gathered hunt, bathed in the dancing light of the roaring campfire, and she nodded, smiling. It was good to be back.

* * *

His hand trembling, Winter struggled to prolong the icicle floating in between his hands. "This is impossible," He muttered darkly to himself, yelling derogatory terms in his head.

A warm hand cupped his, stilling his shaking. "I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier, Percy." Winter breathed in her scent, enjoying the fragrance of burnt holly.

"I'm sorry too," Winter paused, "Emily, I promise I won't be reckless anymore."

Summer beamed, engulfing him in one of her bone-breaking hugs. "Just promise me that if there's anything, you'll come to me first."

"I promise." They stayed like that for a moment, just enjoying the other's presence. And then the icicle fell from Winter's hand, shattering on the forest floor. Winter grimaced as he heard swearing coming from his tent.

"Winter, who's in your tent?" Winter chuckled nervously at Summer's dangerous tone.

"That would be Hannah, my… aide." Summer's eyebrow arched elegantly, although a twitching eyelid did detract from it. "Artemis assigned her to me, because she treats me like the plague."

Summer nodded, relieved. She didn't want Winter to suddenly go bedding random women, even if he wasn't in a relationship with her. "Percy, why don't you use your fingertips? That will concentrate the energy needed to generate ice."

Shrugging, Winter tried it, cold flowing from his fingertips. "You're right, this is easier." Winter nodded his thanks at her. The smaller release points of the tips meant that the power he used was much more concentrated, wasting less energy for the same amount of ice generated.

"I'm always right!" Summer teased, bumping their shoulders together. Winter rolled his eyes in fake exasperation, going back to summoning icicles.

* * *

The hunt had packed up early in the morning, setting off for camp. By Artemis' estimate, they would reach camp by today. Winter strolled alongside the group, somewhat isolated, with only Hannah by his side. He flexed his arm slightly, wincing at how sore it was. He had been practising all night with Summer, increasing the amounts of ice that he could summon drastically. But Summer, the unforgiving taskmistress that she was, refused to let him rest, and next thing you know, she was melting the ice he created with gushing flame. The worst thing was that he couldn't complain because he had, after all, signed up for it.

Summer, while he was forced to stay with the hunt, was busy scouting ahead. She seemed rather pleased about that, teasing him about staying behind with the hunt. He scowled, remembering her smug face as she departed. He needed to find some way to repay her for that.

Hannah shot him a confused look, in reaction to his scowl. "Lord Winter, are you alright?"

"Yes Hannah, just remembered something unpleasant." He nodded sagely. He was repaid with an eye roll from Hannah. "And here I thought we were getting along so well." He teased.

Hannah walked off, brushing her hair out of her face. Somewhere among the hunt, Winter thought, was Artemis laughing her ass off at his misfortune. He would be sure to repay her for this inconvenience. Hannah wasn't bad, though, Winter supposed, just hard to get to know. But he would eventually, he was sure of that. And then he was made aware of his surroundings by someone poking his arm.

"Hey, Lord Winter." Winter turned around, and upon seeing the person was talking to him, stopped walking, rooted to the ground.

"Thalia." He breathed out, taking in all her features once again. Her sky-blue eyes surrounded by the darkest eyeliner, her shoulder length spiky hair, the light sprinkle of freckles across her nose. A rush of nostalgia flooded his heart as he stared at her, and suddenly he rushed forward and swept her off her feet into a tight hug, pressing his face into the crook of her head.

And then a huge amount of electricity coursed through his body.

* * *

 **A/N: I am so sorry about the lateness of this. I was on holiday, super busy, and recently got my O level results too. Seriously stressful. Anyways, I tried to rush out the chapter as fast as possible, so I hope there are no mistakes. Again, really sorry. I'll try to write a little faster, but I'm going through some stuff.**


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